Improvement in cupola-fuenaces



@uiten tetta atratv @ffice JOHN HOWARTH, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Paten-t No. 73,833, dafeol January 14, 1868. l

IMPROVEMENT IN GUPOLA-I'URNAGS.

TO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN HewAn'riI, of Salem, in the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement'in Smelting Iron, Iron Ores, or other Metals or Metal Orcs in Blast or Cupola- Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings, which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it. i

The invention relates to the construction of furnaces for smelting of ironiron ores, or other metals, or metal ores, by the introduction of combined air and steam, either or both of which are snperheatcd before being passed through the tuyeres of the furnaces; and the invention consists in superheating the steam or air, or both, in combination, to any practical temperature, with the waste heat of the furnace, or with heat from an 4independent or separate furnace, so that the steam shall not be condensed before entering the tuyeres, and in passing the combined superhcated air and steam through the tuyeres into the ignited fuel of a cupola or blastfurnace.

The drawings representablast-furnacc constructed for the application of my invention- I A, showing a vertical central section, and B a horizontal section on the line a a denote iron posts, on a series of which the cupola b is erected, the cupola being covered with an iron casing, c, and lined with tirebrick, d. e e denote the superheating-ehamber, in which are erected, on a circular superheatcr base,f, upright return-bends or pipes g. h is the air-blast chamber surrounding the cupola, and enclosing the tuyeres z', said chamber being supplied from a pipe, .7', through which air is forced by the blower. c denotes a vertical pipe, which conducts the superheated steam to the circular pipe l, placed over the air-blast chamber t, and having a series of short pipes, s, projecting from its lower side a short distance into the air-blast chamber, and opening therein, in order to obtain a uniform distribution of steam into the air in the chamber 71 before the air-blast `enters the tuyeres,. m denotes an outlet-pipe at the bottom of the furnace, through which the molten metal is j discharged from the furnace. n is a steam-cock, for admitting and controlling the admission of steam from the steam-boiler through a steam-pipe, o, into the superheater base f. The return-bends g are firmly secured to, and open into and from the superheater basef. The interior of this base is divided by cross-walls or partitions intera series of compartments, (as denoted by the red lines at 13,) so as to cause lthe steam to pass into the bends; and from bend to bend, as will be readily understood, until, having passed through the whole series, it descends in a. super-heated condition through the pipe 7c into the air-blast chamber t. The furnace being charged with, fuel, and with the metal to be smelted, the air and steam are passed through the tuyeres into the ignited fuel in the furnace, and the steam or'air, or both combined, being superheated before entering the tuyeres, the combination is wholly or partially decomposed as it enters the fuel, liberating the hydrogen of the steam in a highly-heated condition, and this hydrogen will at once unite with the sulphur from the fuel and in the melting metal, and will pass oif with the volatile products of combustion. By this means I can produce a refined iron with sulphurous, bituminous, or anthracite coal, fully equal to charcoal-iron.

I claim, in combinationrwith a cupola, blast, or other furnace, (in which combined air and steam are used as described,) the superheater-chamber, located directly ovcr.the furnace, substantially us described.

I also claim the superheater basefand its upright return-bonds g, combined and arranged together, and

relatively to the furnace and air-blast, substantially as shown and described.

' JOHN HOWARTH.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GouLn, L. H. LATXMER. 

